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Sargusian Fungus
The dirtwraith’s name comes from the commonly held (but incorrect) belief that the fungus is a form of undead that spontaneously erupts out of the corrupt dirt beneath a decaying body. Rather, it is a form of semi-intelligent fungus that dwells in the root systems of larger plants. The fact that skeletons are commonly found nearby attests to its efficiency, not to its genesis. A dirtwraith appears as a mass of pale yellow spheroids connected by a matrix of thick, fibrous strands. Dirtwraiths are natives of the Abyss and are known as Sargusian fungi to the inhabitants there. Combat: Dirtwraiths live among the root system of their plant host. As they grow, their fibrous tendrils allow them a clumsy form of undulating locomotion that lets them move about when necessary. They sense prey through ground vibrations. A dirtwraith attacks once per round with its host plant, causing damage equal to 1d4 for each of its Hit Dice on a successful hit. Thus, a 5-HD dirthwraith causes 5d4 points of damage. The host remains a nonsentient creature and is immune to mind-affecting magic and the like. It can withstand damage equal to the dirtwraith’s hit point total before being destroyed; most plants have an AC of 6. Slaying the plant does not slay the dirtwraith; the creature simply moves to a new host once it thinks it’s alone. To slay a dirtwraith, the pod network must be exhumed or else the attacker must wait motionlessly for the dirtwraith to extract itself to search for a new host (usually within 2d6 turns). The dirtwraith is immune to fire, mind-affecting magic, and blunt weapons. Once exhumed, its only defense is to spray spores. Each pod can spray one doud of spores per day; a successful hit forces the target to make a saving throw vs. poison to avoid choking. Failure indicates that the victim suffers 1d6 points of damage per round for 2d4 rounds. A successful saving throw indicates a -2 penalty to attack rolls. Habitat/Society: The Bonehart discovered the dirtwraith when one of their number accidentally brought Sargusian spores back from a trip to the Abyss. The unwitting wizard scattered spores throughout the town of Delaquenn. Before long, the spores took root and grew into dirtwraiths. The Bonehart took great interest in the fungus when it became apparent that it was not only an efficient killer but also an intelligent one. Ecology: A dirtwraith’s Hit Dice are directly related to its age. When a dirtwraith first “takes root”, it consists of only a single pod. At this stage, it has only one Hit Die and can animate only small shrubs and creeping vines. As it feeds, new pods appear and grow to maturity at the rate of one pod per month (assuming a regular supply of food). With each pod, the dirtwraith gains an additional Hit Die and can animate increasingly large plants. Dirtwraiths cease to grow once they reach 12 Hit Dice. Demons of all types relish dirtwraith pods as a delicacy. Unfortunately, these pods are poisonous to anything native to the Prime Material Plane. Eating even a few bites of a dirtwraith pod forces the victim to make a successful saving throw vs. poison or fall into a fevered coma for 2d6 days. Once this time has passed, the victim can make a second saving throw vs. poison to overcome the fever. If this second saving throw fails, the victim dies, and the body provides the base nutrients for a new dirtwraith pod. Tiny Plant (Extraplanar) Hit Dice: 1d8+2 (6 hp) Initiative: +1 Speed: 5 ft. (1 square) Armor Class: 12 (+2 size), touch 12, flat-footed 12 Base Attack/Grapple: +0/+3 Attack: — Full Attack: — Space/Reach: 2-1/2 ft./0 ft. Special Attacks: Animate plant, poison, spores Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/slashing or piercing, immunity to fire and mind-affecting spells and abilities, low-light vision, plant traits, tremorsense 60 ft. Saves: Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +1 Abilities: Str 6, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 3, Wis 13, Cha 11 Skills: Tumble +5 Feats: Ability Focus (spores) Environment: Inifinite Layers of the Abyss (Vesve Forest) Organization: Solitary Challenge Rating: 1 Treasure: 1/10th coins; 50% goods; 50% items Alignment: Alwas chaotic evil Advancement: Small (2-3 HD), Medium (4-7 HD), Large (8-12 HD) Level Adjustment: — This fungoid entity appears as a mass of pale yellow spheroids connected by a matrix of thick, fibrous strands. Dirtwraiths, or "Sargusian fungus", as they are known by the inhabitants of their home plane, are semi-intelligent fungi that dwell in the root systems of larger plants. Dirtwraiths get their name from the large number of skeletons usually littered around their host plant. Dirtwraiths take control of larger plants, hiding among the root system while their animated hosts afford them a great degree of protection. A dirtwraith's fibrous tendrils affords it a clumsy form of undulating locomotion when not moving with their host plant. A dirtwraith reproduces by releasing spores on dead victims of their animated plants. Demons consider dirtwraith pods a delicacy, and their innate immunity to poison makes consumption a nonhazardous endeavor. A newborn dirtwraith is a puffball-like pod about a foot across, weighing about 5 pounds. The largest dirtwraiths can weigh as much as 500 pounds and have up to a dozen pods about 2 feet in diameter. COMBAT Dirtwraiths usually attack the unwary with their animated plants, then infect any creatures they kill with their spores. If its host plant is destroyed, a dirtwraith waits to avoid any disturbances before extracting itself and searching for a new host. Outside a plant host, dirtwraiths can only defend themselves with their spores and by slowly crawling away. Animate Plant (Su): A dirtwraith can animate a plant one size larger than itself. The dirtwraith melds into the ground at the base of the plant and intertwines itself inside the plant's roots, a process which takes 1 minute, after which the plant gains the statistics of an Animated Object of the appropriate size, with hardness 5 and a speed of 10 ft. Any damage always affects the animated plant first, which must be destroyed before any harm can be done to the dirtwraith within it. A dirtwraith can only animate ordinary living plants, it can not animate dead plants or monsters with the Plant type. Once the animated plant is destroyed, the dirtwraith may be exhumed from the plants roots; if left undisturbed, it will emerge from the ground 2d6 minutes later to seek a new plant host. Poison (Ex): A dirtwraith's flesh is a deadly poison. Any creature that hits a dirtwraith with a bite attack is affected. Dirtwraith flesh – Ingested; Fort DC 13; primary damage unconsciousness for 2d6 days; secondary damage 2d6 Con. If a living creature dies from the effects of dirtwraith poison, one or more 1 HD dirtwraiths will sprout from the corpse 2d6 days later. Spores (Ex): Once per day, a dirtwraith can release a 30-foot radius cloud of poisonous spores centered on itself as a standard action. If the dirtwraith is currently animating a plant, this process requires a full minute during which the animated plant can take no other actions; the cloud is centered on the plant. As a result, dirtwraiths do not use their spore attack while animating a plant unless all their opponents are dead. Dirtwraith spores – Inhalation, Fortitude DC 14, initial damage 1d2 Con and is sickened for 2d4 rounds, secondary damage 1d2 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based. If a corpse is exposed to dirtwraith spores, one or more 1 HD dirtwraiths will sprout from the corpse 2d6 days later. Advanced Dirtwraiths A dirtwraith gains one additional spore pod for each Hit Dice gained. It may thus use its spores attack a number of times per day equal to its Hit Dice. Category:Plants Category:Extra-planual creatures